E.R.
for the second tranche scheme.
deliberately been drafted SO that it could be used without
modifications for the second tranche. Mrs Wei would appreciate that UK Ministers might not wish to re-open debate on the 1990
Act by putting forward a modified scheme. UK Ministers would
therefore need persuasive arguments if they were to agree to
modify the scheme for the second tranche. To this end it would
be helpful if the Home Office was brought in at an early stage
on any review of the scheme.
I pointed out that the scheme had
4. On the Governor's Annual Report Mrs Wei confirmed that a
draft would shortly be passed to the Home Office for any comment.
5. Mr Alistair Asprey, Secretary for Security I put to Mr
Asprey the same point about including in the Governor's Report
an assurance that the number of recommendations would increase
in 1992. He too mentioned the possibility of reviewing the
scheme; I made the same points as I had put to Mrs Wei.
6. Mr Isaac Chow, Principal Assistance Secretary (Security)
Mr Chow raised with me Home Office policy on returning residents.
I pointed out that there had been no change of policy or practice
but simply a clarification of the Immigration Rules. Mr Chow mentioned that the Hong Kong concern arose over one person who had been in the habit of returning to the UK once every two years to retain residence status. Eventually the IO had refused to
give indefinite leave to enter and the Hong Kong resident had
raised this through contacts within OMELCO. I refrained from
pointing out that the IO had undoubtedly been right to refuse to
grant indefinite leave.
7. Mr Chow raised the children of British citizens born after
1 January 1983 raised with Lord Caithness and by OMELCO. I
outlined Home Office Ministers' thinking on this subject. Mr Chow felt that there were no other groups likely to press for
immigration or nationality concessions. The only outstanding
group of which he was aware were Asian ethnics at present resident in Hong Kong. However, this group had no sympathisers
on OMELCO and Mr Chow believed their case would not be pushed by